Is Risk of Surgery Greater than Risk of Aneurysm Rupture?

[DeWayne]

Good advice being given here, you have it scheduled, you have no real current problems to compound recovery. You are in the window size wise that most surgeons will tell you is the right time to do this.

I went years basically in denial of my heart problems even though I had surgery back in 1959. I had no idea I had an aneurysm till I finally told my wife to schedule me an appontment with a cardiologist because I could feel something in my body was not right.

They did the tests she comes in says I have some bad news, then proceeded to tell me about the aneurysm. It was 5.8 cm. She said I needed surgery and I needed it within the next 6 months the sooner the better. Till then not to pick up anything over a loaf of bread or I might die. She told me i was lucky I listened to what my body was telling me.

Six weeks later I was on the road to recovery, once I decided which valve I relaxed (nervously of course I guess I had one advantage I knew since I was 10 this 2nd surgery was inevitable, in fact I made it almost 20 years longer than they said I would. But that was pure luck as it turns out.

I would rather be safe than John Ritter, who incidentally died of an ruptured aortic aneurysm. If you remember the story he was dead in minutes of that happening. If it ruptures its over.

 

[bbb]

Lorie,

I am so glad to hear your mother will be with you to help. You will really be so thankful to have her, you will need help and lots of resting. Let her be in her element and you will both be thankful. I just found that everyone who helped me during the surgery process, from my family, friends, to the docs, nurses and surgeons......were real angels. An immense sense of gratitude took over me and carried me through before and after the surgery.

You have a lot to be thankful for, and relaxing into the gratitude will help you go into the surgery with a positive attitude.

All the best, Betsy

 

[Bryan B]

Lorie,

One other thing to consider...how comfortable would you be postponing the surgery and know that you have a ticking time bomb in your chest? I know I would have a hard time not thinking about it all of the time. It's got to be fixed sooner or later...why not do it now while your physical condition will allow for a smoother recovery. It's ok to freak out...just ask the old timers that had to deal with me before my surgery. But I made it through the toughest part IMO...the waiting...with the help of the people here at VR. Several people told me that I might even experience a sense of calm right before surgery...and I did. And I know when I felt it...it was during and after my pre-op appointment. At that point I realized that this was really going to happen and there was no turning back. I think at that point I finally accepted the fact that I really needed the surgery, put my total trust in my surgeon and the hospital staff, and didn't want to go through anymore waiting.

Hang in there...the anticipation is worse than the surgery in many ways. Once they give you a good dose of "happy juice", from that point on you are just along for the ride.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

One last suggestion Lorie -

Ask your Primary Care Physician (or Cardio) for an Rx for an anti-anxiety drug. MANY of our members found that to be helpful in coping with the very natural FEAR of Major Surgery. As has been suggested, it's probably time to STOP researching and 'try' to occupy your mind with other distractions.

Have you made a Will, Living Will, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney? If not, this would be a good time to do so.

Hopefully you too will find that sense of "inner peace" just before going into surgery.

We're ALL pulling for you Lorie.

Bon Voyage !

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Faye]

Don't wait - Move forward and Enjoy Life!

Don't wait - Move forward and Enjoy Life!

Lorie,
I am one who was in the waiting room for years - knowing that I would have to have my bi-cuspid aortic valve replaced at some time but not knowing exactly when the medical tests and physical symptoms would combine and the "time would be right."

I started feeling many of the symptoms that you have described and that along with the "numbers" drove me to surgery and I'm very glad I had my surgery when I did. My surgeon found that my aortic anuerysm was much worse that the "numbers" showed - I had mini-tears and in the words of my surgeon "was playing Russian Roulette".

I remember having a lot of worries and second thoughts about the surgery. I asked my surgeon for some meds to help me through the final 2 weeks before surgery. The meds, along with some self-talk telling me that I knew in my heart that I had researched all I could, found a great surgeon, and would feel better (and safer) after surgery got me through it and to the hospital the morning of my surgery.

About needing help at home...you will definitely need someone the first week but you won't be incapacitated. I found that it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined. The pain was nothing like I thought it would be and before I knew it, I was driving, going to the store, taking care of household things, and was back to work after 9 weeks. Most of us valvers end up being pleasantly surprised at how good we feel as we move along the recovery path.

Hang in there!
Faye

 

[ptoddy]

Hi Lorie

Whatever decision you make I am sure it will be the right one.Only you know how you feel and what you want.

I too am in the waiting room and have decided after long talks with my cardio that waiting this is the right thing (for me) to do.My aneurysm has not grown in the year since I found out about it, and my bicuspid valve is working fine.I posted a similar question to you and got the same responses as you,I am happy with my decision and am getting on with my life until the time is right for me.

Good luck Lorie

Paul

 

[Marguerite53]

Hi Lorie

As have most others here, I want to encourage you to move forward with your surgery.

Please take a minute and consider what brought you to VR.com in the first place. You, like most of us here, are seeking information. We want to be educated patients. We have questions beyond the scope of a nerve-wracking office visit. We are all control freaks. Yep. We think we have the analytic capacity to figure this out for ourselves. I mean it is "elective surgery" isn't it? So why can't we just wait abit. Why can't we try to read and read and read and make sense of a language and statistics in 3 weeks that our surgeon has spent decades making sense of. Come on. We know nothing. Let's be honest. Or we learn enough just to scare the bajeezus out of ourselves.

Lorie. A world class surgeon has told you that it is time for surgery. (and you are not the first person I have written this sentence to here on this forum ....control freaks R Us) He wants to go in there and fix you up before any damage can occur that would make it impossible for your recovery to be successful. He is thinking of YOU and your success.

Yes, the 64 slice machine is a great thing. But these guys are trained and experienced to go inside of you and figure out what is going on and fix you up just by looking in there. If they have to think fast...they can do it!!! It's their training and their surgical expertise which has made you seek them out.

I'm not real clear on the term "complete surgical arrest". Is that the heart-lung machine? We are all on the heart lung machine. It is part of the experience for all of us.

And then there's recovery. While that is different for all of us, and some have been frought with nasty experiences, most of us meander through it just fine. You won't be helpless, just parts of you will be. You won't want to be doing much reaching. So you can sort and fold laundry, but carrying it to, pulling it from the washer to the dryer will not be smart for awhile. You can do dishes, but reaching way back into the dishwasher will be gnarly for awhile. You can go shopping, but you can't do a marathon for a while. You can DO most things, just not very well and not with the same speed. For all the years you have worked to help others, it is simply just time to let others help you. Plain and simple. You'll just need a little help.

One last thing. The crowning moment of my relaxing into the notion of surgery was when I shook the hand of my surgeon. He is local, so as soon as I sat with him and shook his hand (the hand that would be holding my heart) I knew I would be fine. You have spoken to Dr. Raissi, but not met him yet. I think that as soon as you have some time with this man, you will see that all is well and right with the world. The power of human touch. Truly. It is a magnificent thing.

Wishing you well. Get some anti-anxiety meds and don't book anything too special for the next few weeks. Get caught up on some favorite movies or books, hang with friends and family. Take walks...feel the fresh air and inhale the sweet smells of life. You're gonna be fine.

Best wishes.

Marguerite

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Something to help you "Lighten Up"

Something to help you "Lighten Up"

OK Lorie,

It's time to "Lighten Up" and I've got just the thing...

I searched the local bookstores for Lewis Grizzard's hilarious book "They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat" which I had read years ago. None available.

Today, I checked out an old (1982) copy at my local Library.

I Laughed so hard that I Cried reading Chapter 2:
"This Might Sting a Little"

Have you had a Cath yet? If not, you might not laugh so hard. Maybe it's better read AFTER your Cath...or even after surgery...

It turns out he wrote a sequel after his second AVR entitled "I Took a Lickin', an' Kept on Tickin'" which I found in the library's Book Sale Store for 50 cents. Such a Deal !

If you're not familiar with Lewis Grizzard's Humor, I can't imagine a better place to start for a fellow Heart Patient!

'AL Capshaw'